Chlorophyll: The Latest Health Trend on Social Media

May 25th, 2021

TikTok is the latest hot spot for wellness trends coming to life. One such trend that hit the social media platform and has people super curious is the consumption of chlorophyll. Influencers have been drinking chlorophyll for its purported health purposes, with many pushing that chlorophyll is great for losing weight, clearing skin and reducing inflammation.¹ In response, stores are now having trouble keeping chlorophyll in stock.²

Still, the question remains: Is this product that consumers are eating up (literally) actually good for you, and is it worth serving to your clients?

Defining Chlorophyll

First things first: Chlorophyll is a plant pigment involved in photosynthesis, meaning that it's created during the process when plants convert light energy to chemical energy.³As such, chlorophyll can easily be consumed in vegetables like spinach and asparagus.¹

However, this plant pigment is also available in supplement form, which is how it's being consumed in the TikTok and social media trend. Typically, the supplement form contains a derivative of chlorophyll that has been shown to help manage acne and reduce pores.¹ Chlorophyll supplements are actually made of chlorophyllin, which uses copper instead of magnesium, yet still has similar properties and benefits so there isn't a huge difference between ingesting the two.⁴

Body Benefits

Of course, larger and more rigorous studies need to be performed to see if chlorophyll actually boosts overall health, but it's currently believed to help boost immunity, detoxify the blood and clean the intestines.⁴

One theory that dietician Jaclynn Allen shared with NewsWest was that the increased water intake associated with this trend was a big component to the health benefits they experienced. "I think that when you have proper hydration things do flow better; when you’re properly hydrated your skin does clear up because you’re hydrated. I think that a lot of it is more because you’re drinking water more than the actual chlorophyll component," says Allen.²

While there are clear benefits to ingesting chlorophyll supplements, it's hard to compete with the benefits of simply eating the vegetables that contain chlorophyll, like spinach, for example: When you eat spinach, you are not only getting a good intake of chlorophyll, but you're ingesting other vitamins that are great for your health as well.¹

However, studies have shown that there are a multitude of benefits to consuming chlorophyll, such as improved energy levels, metabolism and immune function. It has been shown to aid in cellular detoxification and promote healthy skin, and it has potent antioxidant properties.³

In Practice

There are definitely benefits to ingesting chlorophyll, and taking it in supplement form can increase your clients' water intake. Overall, it could be helpful to include chlorophyll supplements in your retail area if clients are showing interest in it, or are typically interested in nutraceuticals in general. However, it's important to remind them that this supplement should not replace the intake of nutrient-dense foods.

If you already offer smoothies, beverages or healthy food options that include chlorophyll-dense ingredients for your guests to enjoy, it's worth giving that a shout on your menu or social media to draw some eyes to it.

Chlorophyll can be found in pill and liquid form. It has been most popularly seen on social media being consumed in liquid form.

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